Learning in Community for Effective Climate Conversations
Our May blog post urged us to find ways to grow our sacred activism. We included climate conversations as an important option, and a good starting point for many.
Our allies at THIS! Is What We Did offer online trainings and supportive community for people who want to have more effective climate conversations. New courses are starting next week!
You can choose Tuesdays, July 19th & 26th & August 2nd, 5:00-6:30pm PDT or Thursdays, July 21st & 28th & August 4th, 5:00-6:30pm PDT. (People can mix-and-match Tuesdays and Thursdays if needed.) If this timing doesn’t work, but you want to be notified about future trainings, sign up on their website.
I thought I would be intimidated about having climate conversations. But we’re taught to focus on making connections rather than conversions. This greatly reduced my anxiety and I now look to have conversations with lots of people and I enjoy them.
Testimonial from Effective Climate Conversation trainee
Novasutras in partnership with THIS! Is What We Did
As the Novasutras community continues to adapt and grow into the niche where it can best serve a future of agaya and ubuntu, we are forming symbiotic partnerships with other communities and organizations whose purpose, mission, and vision are closely aligned with ours.
THIS! Is What We Did is an organization focused on growing the climate justice movement. Their mission is to help grow an intergenerational movement strong enough to break the power of the fossil fuel industry and stimulate the effective, drastic action needed to spur climate justice and give future generations a chance for a decent life.
They work toward this by providing powerful educational experiences. They offer a welcoming community, and present easy and accessible pathways to effective climate action. Their work is especially intended to activate people 50 years and older, as an underappreciated source of energy and strength in the climate movement.
Climate Conversations as Sacred Activism
From THIS! Is What We Did:
Action begins with conversation!
One of the most important things we can do for our planet is have effective conversations about climate change. This is an action we can take every day.
It can help move climate change action into the Overton Window, where issues need to be in order to get coverage by the media and attention by governments.
However, conversations about climate change can easily go off the rails. THIS! Is What We Did offers free 3-week (90-minutes per week) classes on how to have Effective Climate Conversations.
This class will show how to avoid pitfalls, promote understanding, and “listen deeply” to people of all views on climate change. This is a foundational skill necessary to any successful action in support of the climate.
It doesn’t require you to be an expert and, most importantly, it’s fun!
More Testimonials from Effective Climate Conversation Students
I’ve worked in the area of climate change for a long time. I’ve never thought about conversation as being important. I now know it’s core to it all.
This class has helped me have more kind and courageous conversations. I find myself not only having more conversations about climate change, but about other sensitive issues important to me.
My conversation with our local Chase Branch Manager would have been a disaster if not for this course. I was able to get to an “I’m Okay, You’re Okay” place with him and it made a huge difference. The conversation went great and he even gave me some people at the bank to send information to.
I wish I’d learned the concepts from the Effective Climate Conversations training when I first started learning about climate change… I’ve noticed a huge difference in the productivity and civility of our conversations when using the skills taught in this class. Many people don’t respond well to being lectured in a blunt manner about harsh realities, and sometimes, talking can do more harm than good if it’s not done with intention. This class has taught me how to be truly effective in conversations with all kinds of people, and I’m so grateful it’s being taught for free. Everyone can benefit from learning these skills and keeping them in their back pocket.
